Talking Pyramids

Holes in the west side of Khufu’s Sarcophagus. Photo by Jon Bodsworth. How to lock a sarcophagus: The sarcophagus was the focal point of the tomb and was the reason pyramids were built to house and protect them. Security of the tomb was of utmost importance and every effort was undertaken to ensure the tomb [...]

Granite sarcophagus of Senusret II I am not sure what to make of this news release. Petrie examined the sarcophagus of Senusret II (a.k.a. Senwosret II, Sesostris II) in great detail when he conducted his survey in 1889. MENA press release: CAIRO – Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered the burial chamber and coffin of King Senusret [...]

Pyramid of Unas More discoveries at Saqqara. Several painted wooden coffins as well as statues representing their owners have been discovered by Egyptian archaeologists. Tunnels containing carved stones were also found in the area. “These coffins were found in the tombs of senior officials of the 18th and 19th dynasties,” near Saqqara, Zahi Hawass, the [...]

More news on the search for Menkaure’s missing sarcophagus. Spain and Egypt have made some advancements on the arrangement of a joint mission to search for the sarcophagus of Menkaure, lost on the sea floor somewhere between Malta and Gibralta. With financial help from the National Geographic Society, the Egyptian Government wants to use underwater [...]

More on the discovery of the pyramid of Menkauhor at Saqqara, a video from the National Geographic website: Video of the excavation of what is thought to be Menkauhor’s pyramid at Saqqara From today’s story in the Guardian: “In 1842, German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius mentioned it among his finds at Saqqara, referring to it [...]

Menkaure’s Basalt Sarcophagus Spain and Egypt will commence a search later this year for the Beatrice, the 19th century ship that was wrecked at sea while attempting to transport the black basalt sarcophagus of Menkaure to England. Please note, the news story wrongly reports the sarcophagus as having once contained the body of Khafre instead [...]